SHOPPING WITH STEFANIE BRECHBUEHLER AND ROBERT HIGHSMITH; Counter Balancing

By TIM McKEOUGH

Published: September 6, 2012

Workstead have discovered there's one piece of furniture that is particularly hard to find: the counter-height stool.

''We've researched a lot of them,'' said Robert Highsmith, 30, who runs the firm with his wife, Stefanie Brechbuehler, 34. In fact, they've compiled an entire file on the subject, he said, ''because they're very tricky.''">

IN planning kitchens for clients, the founders of the Brooklyn design firm Workstead have discovered there's one piece of furniture that is particularly hard to find: the counter-height stool.

''We've researched a lot of them,'' said Robert Highsmith, 30, who runs the firm with his wife, Stefanie Brechbuehler, 34. In fact, they've compiled an entire file on the subject, he said, ''because they're very tricky.''

Unlike bar stools, which are taller and in more plentiful supply, counter stools are generally 24 to 28 inches high.

''It wasn't something people made in the '50s, '60s and '70s,'' Mr. Highsmith said. ''Because this whole notion of the open kitchen with an island didn't really exist.''

But taking the time to find a stool you like is worth it, he and Ms. Brechbuehler insist. The couple, who recently designed both the lobby of the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the ruggedly handsome bar on its sixth floor known as the Ides (in collaboration with the restaurateur Andrew Tarlow), are adamant about furniture for the long haul.

''We're completely against buying things cheaply and then buying them again the next year,'' Ms. Brechbuehler said. A better approach, she added, is to take your time and ''find something that you can put your own story on, and pass on to your kids.''

With comfort, durability and good looks in mind, they agreed that the Tall stool by Sawkille at Matter, a design shop on the eastern edge of SoHo, would be an excellent choice.

''The thinness is incredible,'' Mr. Highsmith said, running his finger along the edge of the seat. ''It seems so fragile, but it's actually really solid.'' And from a functional standpoint, Ms. Brechbuehler observed, ''the little cross braces are at different heights, so if you're a short person, a tall person or a kid, you can rest your feet on different levels.''

For another wooden stool with a high level of personalization, they recommended the Kingstown bar stool from Studio Dunn, which can be ordered from the company's Web site in custom heights ranging from 24 to 30 inches.

''You can calibrate it by the inch,'' Mr. Highsmith said. And the streamlined shape offers a modern twist on a classic form, making it versatile enough, Ms. Brechbuehler said, to ''work in a traditional house or something super ultramodern, like a white box.''

For a metal stool, they liked the Nagasaki, a simple piece with tubular metal legs, designed by Mathieu Mat?t in the 1950s. ''It's just so elemental,'' Mr. Highsmith said.

And if you're torn between wood and metal, the Magis Steelwood stool from Herman Miller offers a compromise, Ms. Brechbuehler said. It combines a steel seat and footrest with wooden legs in an appealing mix of materials. And most important, she noted, ''It feels like it's going to be around for a long time.'' TIM McKEOUGH

Workstead have discovered there's one piece of furniture that is particularly hard to find: the counter-height stool.

''We've researched a lot of them,'' said Robert Highsmith, 30, who runs the firm with his wife, Stefanie Brechbuehler, 34. In fact, they've compiled an entire file on the subject, he said, ''because they're very tricky.''">